making an impression in electives

[icebreakers]

could I please get some advice on how to go into my ortho electives and try to blow them out of the water...or at least impress them ...

any books i should read before i do my elective? high yield? question books? practicing doing the musculoskeletal physical on a bunch of patients?
please...any and all ideas would be really help ful?

what are the good ortho review books that students use during the elective? would it help to preview them or read them cover to cover...

what else can i do? I want to make a realy good impression..
my first two years are just pass. I got an 84% on step 1...
any advice appreciated

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[OSU03]

First of all, there are tons of posts on http://www.orthogate.com about this. Click on the forums section and do a search.

Regardless, I'll answer a little here. The only book you really need is Netter's Concise Atlas of Orthopaedic Anatomy. Rarely will you get asked anything outside of straight anatomy. You'll be scrubbed in, and the attending will say, What's this? or What would be be concerned about in this area? I don't think anyone expects the medical student to know much outside of anatomy. You are med students, you arent residents yet, so it's really not fair to ask too much in depth stuff. There are other things in the Netter's book that are helpful too, like physical exam findings, so overall it is a great book for your aways.

In terms of blowing them away, it is standard stuff. Get there early, and be willing to stay late. Try to anticipate what is needed, and do things (within reason) without being asked. So if you see that the resident is writing down vitals on each patient in the morning, get there before him and do it. Be a team player, make life easier for the residents, and as long as you are nice guy they will make you look good too.

These aways are really an opportunity for the residents and attendings to see how well you'll fit in. While we'll ask you plenty of questions, I think determining how intelligent you are is secondary to determining how normal/cool you are. 5 years is a long time to spend together, so the PD is trying to field a team of intelligent people who get along well and fit in.

Send me a message if you have specific questions.

 

[Howard Roark]

(1) be genuinely very interested
(2) come early and stay late
(3) do scut work for residents
(4) take call when u don’t have too
(5) pick a book and read it - but if u know the basics they will be happy
(6) always scrub in, always close skin, be aggressive but not annoying
(7) in the clinic, see and present as many patients as the intern/residents